ALMOST nothing beats bleach when it comes to killing household bugs – and now scientists think they know why.

For the first time, researchers have been able to show what bleach does to germs.

They found that the active ingredient in bleach, hypochlorous acid, mirrors the effect of heat on bacterial proteins.

In both cases, the proteins “unfold” and start clumping together into an insoluble mass.

“At high temperatures, proteins begin to lose their three-dimensional molecular structure and start to clump together to form large, insoluble aggregates, just like when you boil an egg,” said Dr Jeannette Winter, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, US. The new findings may lead to a greater understanding of how the immune system fights off bacterial infections.

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Hair colour hopes

PEOPLE whose hair has turned white because of illness or extreme stress are being offered hope scientists may be able to reverse the process.

Researchers from Manchester University and Lubeck University, in Germany, used a molecule to stimulate the pigment responsible for hair colour. But they said the technique would not reverse the natural greying process. However, experts said the development was an encouraging breakthrough. Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: “It’s important to note that this is laboratory research and not yet ready for use on patients.

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Screening survey

INFORMATION about vaccination against the virus that causes cervical cancer could encourage rather than discourage women to attend for cervical screening, a new survey found.

New research among 400 British women has found knowledge about the disease and the vaccine makes women more likely to attend cervical screening.

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Hygiene falling short

POOR hygiene is threatening public health, according to a new study.

The Royal Society for Public Health said toilet germs are spreading fast, with almost half of adults in the UK failing to dry their hands after using a public toilet, and one in six adults admitting that they don’t wash their hands every time.

This lax approach to basic hygiene means germs from the toilet are left on the door handles, the flush handle and the taps.

THE chance of long-term survival after a heart transplant rises if the person getting the new heart is the same sex as the donor, researchers said.

The US study of more than 18,000 operations found death rates rose by a fifth above average levels if it was a woman who had received a man’s heart. Same-sex transplants had lower rates of rejection over the next few years.